By Marriage Or Civil Partnership

Italian Citizenship Assistance

By Marriage or Civil Partnership

To qualify for Italian citizenship through marriage or civil union, the following requirements must be met by the applicants:

1. Residency requirements in Italy or abroad

If the couple is resident in Italy: the foreign spouse/civil partner can apply after two years from the date of marriage.

If the couple is resident abroad: the foreign spouse/civil partner can apply after three years from the date of marriage.

Warning: If the spouse/civil partner naturalized Italian citizen, it is the from the date of the oath from which run the above said terms. The Italian spouse/civil partner must be registered at AIRE and the marriage/civil partnership record must be registered in Italy. This is done through the Italian Consulate whose jurisdiction covers your place of residence.

2. Marriage status–Length of marriage requirements

The marriage/civil partnership must be valid and persist during the application until the decree granting citizenship has been finalized. Any separation (legal or de facto), termination, dissolution divorces, during this length of marriage requirements can bring to the rejection of the application. The death of the spouse/civil partner after the submission of the citizenship application does not result in the loss of the right.

3. Language proficiency

Proof of Italian language skills at B1 level or higher on the Common European Framework is required. This requirement, introduced by Decree-Law 113/2018 (Security Decree), does not apply to:

Holders of long-term EU residence permits
Those who’ve fulfilled the Integration Agreement as per Article 4bis of Legislative Decree 286/1998

Unlike citizenship applications by residency, those applying through marriage are not required to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency. Another key difference lies in the assessment of an applicant’s legal conduct.

For citizenship by residence, authorities reject applications if there has been any criminal involvement regardless of judicial outcomes. This approach aims to ensure proper social integration.

For marriage-based applications, rehabilitation nullifies the negative effects of prior convictions, often leading to an almost automatic granting of citizenship.

Required Documents

To apply for Italian citizenship through marriage, you’ll need to gather the following documents:

1. Marriage/Civil Union certificate: it is necessary to present a certified copy of the marriage certificate

2. Birth certificate of the applicant.

3. Self-certification of historical residences in Italy (last 10 years for non-EU citizens and 4 years for EU citizens) and family status

4. A copy of your ID card (front and back) or passport

5. Italian tax code (codice fiscale), if applicable

6. Criminal record from your country of origin and from any thrid countries of residence (valid for 6 months)

7. Receipt of payment if €250. Plus revenue stamp (marca da bollo) 16

8. Italian language proficiency certificate at B1 level or higher, except for:

– Holders of EU long-term residence permits

– Those who have signed the Integration Agreement as per Article 4bis of Legislative Decree 286/1998 and fulfilled its requirements

All non-Italian documents must meet specific requirements

If your country is a signatory to the Hague Convention they have to be apostilled and translated to Italian.
If your country is not a signatory to the Hague convention they have to be legalized through the Italian Embassy or Consulate and translated to Italian.
If you are EU citizen, e.g. German married to an Italian, the apostille is not required, only the sworn translation is.

Application Process

Where to apply (local consulates
vs Italian authorities)

Applying in Italy

The application process for Italian citizenship through marriage is now entirely digital, exclusively conducted through the Ministry of Interior’s online portal. Applicants must register at their official website.

Upon successful registration, candidates are required to complete an electronic application form. This form must be accompanied by a full set of digital attachments comprising all necessary documents for the citizenship by marriage process.

Once the application is submitted and the initial data processing is complete, the relevant Prefecture office will verify the submitted documentation to ensure its authenticity. Following this review, the applicant will receive a unique case number. This identifier is important for tracking the application’s progress through various stages of the citizenship process.

Applications submitted from abroad

In this case the process is slightly different. It starts with an initial verification by the Consular Authority, followed by a thorough examination and final decision made by the Ministry of the Interior in Rome.

The investigation focuses on two main aspects:

1. Verifying the authenticity of the marriage, ensuring it’s not merely a marriage of convenience and remains intact.

2. Checking the applicant’s criminal record.

Once these hurdles are cleared, the application typically proceeds smoothly.

Timeline for processing applications

Under the new legislation Decree-Law No. 36/2025 converted into Law 74/2025 the processing time has been set to 24 months, not extendable.

It’s important to understand that these timeframes indicate the legal period during which the public administration is expected to process the application voluntarily, without the need for reminders or formal notices from the applicant.

However, actual processing times may vary depending on individual circumstances and administrative workload.

Common Challenges

Potential delays in processing.
Coping with bureaucracy

As mentioned earlier, while there are legal timeframes, the actual duration can significantly exceed these limits if left to the natural pace of the Public Administration.

To optimise the process, applicants are advised to take a proactive approach in their Italian citizenship application. This may involve following up regularly and ensuring all requirements are met promptly. Such engagement can help expedite the procedure and potentially reduce waiting times.

Remember, while being proactive is beneficial, it’s essential to respect the official process and communicate through appropriate channels.

Documentation issue: any lack or mistake in the submitted documents can lead to the rejection of the application.

If you think you meet the requirements, we can assist you
with the process

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Eligibility/documents assessment

We check your eligibility and review all the documents. We fill out, upload, and submit the application on the Ministry of the Interior’s portal for you.

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Periodic check

We interact with the Ministry and the Prefettura to check the application’s progress on a regular basis.

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Speed up the process

We solicit your citizenship application, with precise requests for access to records tailored to your personal history, with the goal of obtaining citizenship in the shortest time possible.

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